Frequently Asked Questions Of The Professional Development Program
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENT ISSUES
A. The Professional Improvement Plan (PIP) was renamed the Professional Development Plan (PDP) when the New Jersey Board of Education adopted N.J.A.C. 6A:9-15 in January, 2008. The change is in name only.
A. The code specifies in N.J.A.C. 6a:9-15.1(b) that the rules affect all active teaching staff members whose positions require possession of the instructional or educational services licenses.
A. The regulations are clear on this. The local district committee's plan goes first to the local board of education for approval. Once reviewed by the local board, it goes to the County Professional Development Board for approval and then back to the local board of education for final district approval. If the local board does not approve the district professional development plan, the plan then goes back to the local professional development committee for revision and then once again to the county board and the district board of education for approval. The local board of education has the final approval.
A. No. The professional development requirement is only for active teachers. If a teacher has been on leave, as soon as that individual resumes teaching, the 100-hour professional development requirement commences.
A. The regulations specify that there be one district professional development committee comprising four teachers and two administrators. However, the district committee will want to seek input through school-level committees, as well as from other stakeholders, including higher education representatives. The regulations require that the district committee work closely with the superintendent and seek input from parents and the community. However, according to the regulations, the local district committee has the ultimate responsibility for developing the final plan that is submitted to the county board. It should also be pointed out that higher education does have representation on the state-level Professional Teaching Standards Board, as well as the county professional development boards.
A. Based on the support of this initiative by teachers, it is projected that only a few teachers will not complete the 100 hours. Administrators will need to use flexibility to determine the appropriate form of remedial action needed if a teacher does not fulfill the requirement based on a case-by-case review of the individual situations and the progressive supervisory policies of the district.
A. The Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) has developed professional development standards approved by the Commissioner that will be used to approve/disapprove all professional development programs. The regulations specify that the professional development standards will emphasize, but not be limited to, the Core Curriculum Content Standards. The PTSB has also developed and the Commissioner has approved a framework that describes what counts for professional development. Such information is contained in the section entitled "A Framework for What Counts?" available on the DOE Web site.
A. The regulations call for 100 clock hours over five years for teachers and educational service personnel. The district determines the structure of local professional development programs. Districts will need to determine their own inservice calendars and hours per day based on their specific needs and contractual agreements. There is no state prohibition of half-day inservice programs. If inservice programs are approved, they count hour for hour.
A. Offerings used to fulfill a professional's other licensure requirements will meet the approved professional development standards set forth in the new continuing education regulations.
A. Yes. All licensed teachers and educational services personnel who work in a school district or a nonpublic school requiring licensure are included in the Professional Development for Teachers regulations.
A. A part-time teacher is required to accrue 50 hours of professional development within each five-year cycle. A part-time teacher is defined as one who is employed on a regular basis for the school year, but for less than the full school day or week.
In cases where teachers move back and forth between full- and part-time employment within those five years, the following formula applies:
The formula is the calculation of part-time work added to full-time work: X/5 x # hours required in five years = the total number of hours required of that teacher. For example, the number of hours a teacher who is part-time for three years and full-time for two years would be calculated as follows: (3/5 x 50 = 30) + (2/5 x 100 = 40) = 70 total hours required.
A. Yes. Teachers who provide homebound instruction for one or more districts are considered part-time teachers and must earn 50 hours over five years.
A. Professional development hours officially began to count after September 1, 2000.
A. A teacher on a leave of one year or less is permitted to accrue professional development hours if he/she wants to do so if: (a) the teacher has developed a PDP for the school year covered by the leave or the subsequent year; (b) the teacher and the supervisor have signed off on that PDP; and (c) the teacher has delineated the potential professional development opportunities to meet that PDP.
A. Teachers serving as full-time released local education association presidents are considered "teachers on leave" and must follow the procedures for those teachers.
IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES
A. The department will review each situation individually to accommodate those districts that cannot comply with the regulations because of insufficient numbers of teachers or administrators.
A. No. Accrued hours of professional development cannot be carried from one five-year period to the next five-year period. Any additional professional development hours accrued only can enhance the educator’s knowledge base.
A. No. A teacher’s accrued professional development hours will carry over from one district to another.
A. The teacher's PDP specifies the content of a teacher’s professional development as determined by the teacher and the supervisor. The local district plan specifies the professional development activities based on the needs of the district. In many cases, the local inservice programs may fulfill the teacher's individual needs as identified in the PDP.
A. A district must provide a separate certificate for each course or inservice activity it provides. For inservice days with multiple presenters, the district may serve as the provider of record and issue a single certificate for that event. A sample documentation form featuring the required elements is located in the section on the professional development provider information system on the DOE Web site.
A. The PTSB has developed and the Commissioner has approved a standard procedure to guide administrators in the implementation of the professional development regulations through the PDP process. A suggested PDP form and record for professional development hours has been disseminated to all chief school administrators. A district may use this form, or it can be an addendum to the district’s PDP form. Districts may also choose to develop their own forms as long as they meet the requirements specified in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-15.2. This section of the Required Professional Development for Teachers regulations specifies that the content of the teacher’s professional development must be included in the PDP. This content must meet the standards for professional development and also be in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:32, the subchapter on supervision, observation, and evaluation of teaching staff members.
A. Yes. Many teachers have already been involved in providing a wide range of professional development activities for other teachers in their districts and across the state. Teachers will continue to play a key role in the professional growth of other teachers.
A. Yes. All meetings of the state and county boards are public meetings. Meeting notices are advertised, and the boards follow the regulations for open public meetings.
EVALUATION ISSUES
A. Yes. Districts will be monitored for compliance with the new professional development regulations.
A. At the end of the five-year cycle, districts are required to report to the Department of Education those teachers who have not fulfilled the professional development requirement, along with a description of the actions taken by the district. The Commissioner will review each instance of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis. It is anticipated that there will be very few noncompliant teachers. The Commissioner could determine that a case of noncompliance should be reviewed by the Board of Examiners for possible suspension or revocation of the license in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9-17.6. It may be determined that a variety of other remedial actions are warranted.
A. The process for designing the PDP should be a collegial one developed in good faith by both the teacher and the supervisor. Current research on effective professional development supports involving teachers in the planning and design of their own professional development. New Jersey professional development standards reflect this approach, stressing the importance of collegial support, collaboration and interaction in assuring the professional growth of educators. In the case of a disagreement about the content of the PDP, as a last resort, the supervisor may specify the content of the PDP. The supervisor would consider the professional development for teachers regulations, the professional development standards, and other relevant professional development planning and implementation documents. When there is a disagreement and the administrator chooses the specific activities, it is advised that the administrator discuss the reasons for the selected content with the teacher.
COUNTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOARDS
A. The major responsibility of the county board is to approve the district-level plans. Criteria for review and approval of district plans have been completed by the PTSB. The District Planning and County Review documents were developed by the PTSB and approved by the Commissioner. These documents include a tool called The Feedback Continuum for reviewing plans.
WHAT COUNTS
A. The PTSB has developed a document entitled, "The Professional Development Framework (What Counts)?" This document, approved by the Commissioner, is available on the DOE Web site.
A. Yes. Attendance at conferences sponsored by higher education, boards of education, professional associations, training organizations, and other entities approved through the district plan will count toward the 100 hours.
A. Yes, activities that serve the profession such as these will count towards the 100 hours. The Commissioner has determined that teachers may earn a maximum of 75 of their 100 hours for activities in this category (activities that serve the profession). Committee service is capped at 10 hours per year, regardless of the number of committees.
A. Yes, the hours for college courses will be counted by actual clock hours of attendance. A three-credit college course will accrue forty-five professional development hours based on a forty-five-semester-hour course.
A. Yes, vocational teachers’ training in their skills trade area will count as long as the training meets the professional development standards and is aligned with the state’s framework.
A. All new teachers employed under provisional or standard certification must have a Professional Development Plan (PDP) within 60 instructional days of beginning their assignment. Novice teachers begin to accrue hours toward the requirement as of September 1, 2008.
A. Yes, independent professional studies is one of the categories approved by the Commissioner. Specific guidelines for Independent Study can be found in the document, "The Professional Development Framework (What Counts)?” on the DOE Web site.
REPRESENTATION ISSUES
A. The active involvement and support of teachers is vital to the success of this governance structure. The majority representation of teachers creates a professional focus, rather than a bureaucratic one. This gives teachers the level of ownership needed to assure that professional development is relevant to those it is intended to benefit.
A. All of the major education associations have played a vital role in the development of the regulations, providing input throughout the lengthy development process for State Board of Education regulations. The major education associations will continue to play a key role in this initiative's successful implementation.
